Tehama County Election protest

On Wednesday morning, Red Bluff residents may have noticed something a little odd about the way the Not Forgotten Flag at the corner of Pine and Main streets was hanging.

It wasn't just twisted a little funny or a figment of the imagination, it was upside down and at half staff.

The flag, which was fixed by 10:30 a.m., was placed that way as a political statement of sorts by Vern Raglin of Red Bluff, the flag's caretaker for about the last 10 years.

An American flag placed in that position is a national signal of distress and Raglin says the United States is in distress after Tuesday's election.

"After the next four years, the United States won't be the same," Raglin said.

Raglin says the United States will have an entirely new Bill of Rights and Constitution.

"It was an error (in judgment) on my part," Raglin said. "It doesn't have anything to do with the Red Bluff Fire Department.

It was my own personal thing."

For those unaware, the flag was originally put up and taken care of by the local VFW after Raglin's father-in-law, Greel Foshee, one of several caretakers, helped get the pole in place in the 1990s, he said.

About 10 years ago, the Red Bluff Volunteer Fire Department, of which Raglin was a member until his retirement as a captain in 2010, took over checking on the flag and taking it down or putting it back up if needed due to the weather, he said.

Raglin, who retired from Red Bluff Fire after 25 years in February 2010, has been hanging the flag most days with a little help from the department, mostly when he is out of town, he said.

A new flag is on order and was expected to arrive in time for Veterans Day, but was delayed due to Hurricane Sandy, Raglin said.

Anyone wishing to donate to the flag's upkeep can drop donations off at Red Bluff Fire Department on Washington Street next to City Hall.

----- Staff Writer Julie Zeeb can be reached at 527-2153, extension 115, or at jzeeb@redbluffdailynews.com Follow Julie on Twitter @DN_Zeeb